Media organizations protest on IHR Day in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 December 2007, 16:21 GMT]Five media movements including Free Media Movement (FMM), Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Movement and Working Journalists Association staged Monday, International Human Righs (IHR) day, a protest demonstration march from Narahenpittya junction to the Sri Lanka Media Ministry located in Narahenpittiya in Colombo where they handed over a memorandum to a ministry official, sources in Colombo said.

FMM spokesman, Sunantha Deshapiriya, after handing the memorandum, spoke among the protestors, stressing on the need for media freedom and strongly urged Sri Lanka government to take constructive action to safeguard media freedom.

The demonstrators marched carrying placards shouting slogans condemning the assassinations of popular journalists Taraki Sivaram, Mylvaganam Nirmalarajan and Nadesan and accusing the government for not having taken action on these killings of journalists.

They also raised protests against the continuing attacks on media institutions and media personnel.